Page 12 of Devil of the High Seas
“No, he was injured in a fight. I cleaned the wound and stitched him up. He’s resting in a secret chamber.” She squeezed Vesper’s hands. “Please tell no one. His life is in danger. Anyone who is found helping him will be in danger too.”
“What sort of man is he? A thief? A murderer?”
“Neither. Well... perhaps both. I honestly do not know.”
Her maid stared at her, waiting for an explanation.
“He’s a pirate.”
“Apirate!” Vesper shrieked.
She shushed her maid. “Keep your voice down.”
“Lady Josephine, youcannotkeep a pirate as a pet! Someone will discover him and that you’ve been helping him.”
“No one will know ifyouhelp me,” Josephine said with a hopeful look.
“Help you with your pirate? Certainly not! You have a marriage to think about. Lord Castleton...” Vesper’s eyes softened in sorrow and longing before she banished those emotions from Josephine’s view. “We all have our duties, my lady. And yours is to Lord Castleton.”
“Please, Vesper. We must help him.”
Her maid crossed her arms over her chest. “Why?” A stubborn Vesper was hard to motivate, in Josephine’s experience.
“Because... because he’s Lord Castleton’s brother.”
Vesper’s eyes widened. “Surely you don’t mean...?”
“Gavin,” Josephine confirmed.
“His lordship’s twin...” Vesper suddenly sank down on the bed, her face pale. “Oh, my lady, wemusttell him. He must know that his brother is alive.”
“We will, but not yet. Gavin is still hurt. We need him to heal before we discuss his brother with him. If they fight and Griffin orders him to leave and he is not healed...”
Vesper stared at her, but the maid’s gaze seemed miles away. “Oh, poor Lord Castleton. He doesn’t even know his brother is alive.”
Taking advantage of her maid’s distraction, Josephine retrieved a clean chemise and gown from the wardrobe to change into. Vesper always packed an extra gown in case they had to stay the night, even at a neighboring estate so close to home. Josephine had thought it so silly that her maid fussed over such details, but now she was grateful.
“Help me dress. I must have missed breakfast.”
Half an hour later, Josephine was wearing a bright-pink and sky-blue gown with wide flowing skirts and a soft cream-colored underskirt trimmed with Belgian lace. Vesper had combed her hair into loose waves and pulled it back at her nape with a ribbon of pink satin. She no longer looked like a windswept creature who’d slept in a cave by the sea.
“I’ll be back soon.” She kissed her maid’s cheek and rushed down to the dining room.
Half of the guests were eating when she arrived, including her parents and Lord Castleton. The moment Castleton spotted her, he rose and pulled back the chair beside him. She accepted the seat, and Castleton immediately offered to prepare a plate of food for her. She was about to politely decline, but her mother caught her eye and gave her an encouraging nod. Ah, so she was to accept Castleton’s offer. That would be what a proper lady would do.
With a stifled sigh, she lowered her head demurely. “Thank you, I would appreciate that, my lord.”
She survived the meal and the polite conversation of the other guests. When she was finished, she rose from her seat, but Castleton caught her hand.
“Would you do me the honor of walking with me in the gardens? I have permission from your father to speak with you in private.”
“Yes, of course,” she agreed, and then let him escort her outside. The clouds were still thick in the sky and heavy with rain, even though the storm was long past. It enhanced the aroma of a dozen varities of roses blooming around them.
Josephine took Castleton’s arm, resting her hand lightly on his forearm as they walked the garden path in silence. He presented such a striking, handsome figure, yet his countenance was tempered with solemnity.
“I want you to be happy, Josephine. I want you to be my wife. I know your parents wish for that too, but what is it thatyouwant?”
Josephine couldn’t believe someone was asking what she wanted. Then again, Castleton was a gentleman in every sense of the word. If anyone would think about others, it would be him.
